Norwich Castle has reopened following the restoration of its 12th-century keep by British architecture studio Feilden and Mawson. Glazed elements were added to modernize the Grade – I listed building.

The architectural team aimed to make spaces easier to navigate for visitors while respecting the history of the castle, which was originally built between 1095 and 1110 at the request of William the Conqueror.

The castle keep was used as a county jail in the 1300s and then later transformed into a museum in the 1880s. Feilden and Mawson’s intervention aimed to improve accessibility around the building and transform the interior to its original 900-year-old layout.

With funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Norfolk County Council, the team restored the castle keep’s floor levels to their original design and added furnishings to evoke what the medieval royal setting may have looked like.

The keep’s main level is on the third floor and contains a chapel, the king’s chamber and the Great Hall. Feilden and Mawson added an enclosed glass and timber bridge at this level, linking it with the castle’s 1960s extension. A staircase and elevator were installed to give access to all floor levels in the keep, including the rooftop battlement.

A gallery space created in partnership with the British Museum wraps around a mezzanine level and displays over 900 medieval objects.